@@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@@
###@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@###
@%;;;;~~,, ,,~~;;;;%@
#@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@#
##@@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@@##
#@#@%*;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,~;*%@#@#
##@@%*;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;*%@@##
###@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@###
#@#@%*;~,, ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ,,~;*%@#@#
@****~,,,, LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES ,,,,~****@
##@***;~,, OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE ,,~;***@##
@@@%;~,,,, ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE ,,,,~;%@@@
#@#@%*;~,, BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ,,~;*%@#@#
##@*;,,,,, SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ,,,,,;*@##
@*****;~,, INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK ,,~;*****@
@@*~~,,,,, ANTENNA ARRAYS ,,,,,~~*@@
@@%***;~,, WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ,,~;***%@@
@%*;,,,,,, DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. ,,,,,,;*%@
#@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@#
@#@%;,,,,, WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE ,,,,,;%@#@
@%*;~,,,,, SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ,,,,,~;*%@
##%%%*;~,, PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR ,,~;*%%%##
#@#@%*;~,, GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, ,,~;*%@#@#
@@***~~,,, AND ~OUR~ LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE ,,,~~***@@
###@%*;~,, GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS ,,~;*%@###
@@@**~,,,, ,,,,~**@@@
@%*~,,,,,, AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT ,,,,,,~*%@
@@#@%*;~,, VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ,,~;*%@#@@
@@%%%*;~,, CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ,,~;*%%%@@
#@#@%*;~,, THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES ,,~;*%@#@#
@@%%*~~~,, HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ,,~~~*%%@@
@@*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*@@
@%%**~,,,, AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR ,,,,~**%%@
@%%*;;;~,, (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ,,~;;;*%%@
@%;~,,,,,, RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE ,,,,,,~;%@
#@#@%*;~,, AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ,,~;*%@#@#
@%****;~,, MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), ,,~;****%@
##@#%*;~,, DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE ,,~;*%#@##
##@#@%;~,, COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS ,,~;%@#@##
#@#@%*;~,, FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS ,,~;*%@#@#
@%*;~,,,,, BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY ,,,,,~;*%@
@@%*;~,,,, DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, ,,,,~;*%@@
#%%*~,,,,, ,,,,,~*%%#
@%%%*;;~,, NO , ONE , HAS , ANSWERED ,,~;;*%%%@
@##@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@##@
#@%***;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;***%@#
#@#@%*;~,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;*%@#@#
@%*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*%@
#@#@%*;~,, SO WHY IS THAT? ,,~;*%@#@#
#%%%%*;~,, ,,~;*%%%%#
#@#@%*;~,, MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ,,~;*%@#@#
@##@%*;~,, THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ,,~;*%@##@
#@#@%*;~,, A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO ,,~;*%@#@#
#@#@%*;~,, DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE ,,~;*%@#@#
##@#%*;~,, HAS TO BE A PLANET!) ,,~;*%#@##
###@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@###
#@#@%*;~,, BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ,,~;*%@#@#
#%%**~,,,, DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? ,,,,~**%%#
#@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@#
##%*;~,,,, I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO ,,,,~;*%##
###@%*;~,, IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ,,~;*%@###
#%;,,,,,,, SHOWS) ,,,,,,,;%#
#@@@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@@@#
@@#@%*;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;*%@#@@
#%;;,,,,,, ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### ,,,,,,;;%#
##%*;;;~,, #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ,,~;;;*%##
##@#%*;~,, ,,~;*%#@##
#@**;~,,,, I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ,,,,~;**@#
@@@**;;~,, THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ,,~;;**@@@
###@%*;~,, FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ,,~;*%@###
@@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@@
@@*;,,,,,, ,,,,,,;*@@
@@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@@
@*~~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~~*@
@@#@%*;~,, ,,~;*%@#@@